NHRC notice to MP government, MP police

“The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the DG & IG, Prisons, Government of Madhya Pradesh. Calling for detailed reports in the matter within 6 weeks.”

In another step further over the doubts created on the “story of encounter”, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh Government and State police on the subject of shooting of eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) prisoners who escaped from a Bhopal Jail.

A day after eight SIMI militants were killed in an “encounter” by Madhya Pradesh Police, heated political debate has surrounded the encounter. In the latest reports, NHRC has sent notices to the state’s chief secretary, director general of police, director general of prisons & inspector general of prisons for the killing alleged activists of the SIMI.

In the Press Release of National Human Rights Commission, it claimed that NHRC has “taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that 8 SIMI under trial prisoners, who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail were killed in an encounter with police in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on the 31st October, 2016.

It further added that, “The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the DG & IG, Prisons, Government of Madhya Pradesh. Calling for detailed reports in the matter within 6 weeks.”

The media reports had recieved the videos released, purportedly of “encounter”, which had then created a string of unanswered questions, which have led human rights activists and opposition parties to doubt the genuineness of the police claims.

Emphasising on such reports, the statement added that, “As per news report, all escaped prisoners were killed within hours in an encounter at an isolated forested area which is about 15 km from the jail. Senior officers have claimed that the police started firing only after being shot at by the accused. The police team had initially asked the escaped prisoners to surrender, as stated in the report. Five jail officials have been put under suspension including DIG (Jail) and the Jail Superintendent. The Additional DG(Jail) has been reportedly transferred.”

It also emphasised on the specific guidelines issued by it, which have been conveyed to all the States/UTs for compliance in the matters of encounter.

According to the media reports, the Press Release stated that “ the under trial prisoners escaped the jail after killing a guard. Three of these under trial prisoners had escaped from the Khandwa jail three years back and were nabbed again in the State of Odisha, this year. The under trial were charged under various crimes including murder, sedition, jail break and bank robberies. “